In the wake of Musk’s February marketing stunt to sell what he dubbed "Not a Flamethrower," Assemblyman Miguel Santiago (D-Los Angeles) authored a bill that would have imposed more restrictions on their acquisition and use.

"I honestly thought it was a joke when I saw the news about this," the assemblyman said in a statement at the time. "This product, in the wake of California’s deadliest wildfire year in state history, is incredibly insensitive, dangerous, and most definitely not funny."

He added: "There are many times in which technology and inventions benefit society but are not made available to the public. We don’t allow people to walk in off the street and purchase military grade tanks or armor-piercing ammunition... I cannot even begin to imagine the problems a flamethrower would cause firefighters and police officers alike."

Further Reading

Quickly, the Firearms Policy Coalition, an advocacy group, urged its members to oppose the bill.

No one from Santiago’s office or the Firearms Policy Coalition immediately responded to Ars’ request for comment.

Currently, while California law requires a $425 permit for flamethrowers that shoot beyond 10 feet, there are few federal or state-level regulations on possession of the devices. Initially, Santiago's bill would have expanded the permitting process, although after some negotiation, its language was drastically reduced to simply require a warning label.

Musk has indicated that the "Not a Flamethrower" would have a limited range and would stay under the 10-foot limit.

ATF says any flamethrower with a flame shorter than 10 ft is A-ok. Our design is max fun for least danger. I’d be way more scared of a steak knife.

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Cyrus Farivar
Cyrus is a Senior Tech Policy Reporter at Ars Technica, and is also a radio producer and author. His latest book, Habeas Data, about the legal cases over the last 50 years that have had an outsized impact on surveillance and privacy law in America, is out now from Melville House. He is based in Oakland, California. Emailcyrus.farivar@arstechnica.com//Twitter@cfarivar